


The Kindness of Strangers

by WorryinglyInnocent



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Monthly Rumbelling, F/M, First Meeting, Modern AU, Rumbelle - Freeform, Spinner!Rum, Woobie!Rum, cameo appearance by Jefferson being Jefferson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 12:37:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18476392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WorryinglyInnocent/pseuds/WorryinglyInnocent
Summary: Rum and Bae Gold encounter a lovely young lady at the travelling fairground, and learn that despite the hardships in their world, they can still have faith in humanity.Written for the @a-monthly-rumbelling mood board picture prompt, availablehere.





	The Kindness of Strangers

In hindsight, Rum really ought to have been paying more attention to Bae and their immediate environs rather than being lost in thought and self-pity. If he had been paying attention, then he would have seen the hoardings and posters advertising the fairground and he would have taken Bae home a different way so as to avoid the large field where the rides and games were set up.

As it was, he hadn’t been paying attention, so the first inkling he got of the fairground was when Bae tugged on his hand excitedly, trying to drag him across the road towards the field.

“Can we go to the fair, Papa?” he asked, as Rum pulled him back from the edge of the pavement. “Please? It could be like it used to be.”

Rum felt a squeeze of guilt grasp at his chest. It was the first time that the fair had come to town since Bae’s mother had left the six months ago, and the fairground had always been a family tradition for the three of them. They would look around the stalls and watch the rides, and they would share a bag of chips from the food tent. Afterwards, Bae got a candyfloss stick all to himself, although often he couldn’t finish it and let his Papa have the gluey remainder, and they would laugh about their matching blue tongues all the way home. It had always been a rare treat, a moment when they seemed to be happy for a while, and the arguments subsided.

“It’s getting late, Bae,” he hedged. “The fair will be closing soon.” It had been a long day at work; he was infinitely grateful that Mary Margaret never minded looking after Bae for an extra hour after he was supposed to be collected, and never charged extra. She was already giving him cut rates for her childminding services as it was. He really didn’t have the heart to tell Bae that they couldn’t afford a trip to the fair right now. Although entry was free, he knew that Bae would want to recreate his previous experiences as much as possible, and Rum simply didn’t have the spare cash if they wanted to be able to make rent and the water bill at the end of the week. If only the fair had come next week. Things would be a little less tight then.

“No, no there are still people on the rides!” Bae pointed out the swing-boat and the merry-go-round, still in full operation. “Please, Papa?”

Rum could never deny those huge brown eyes, and he sighed.

“All right. But just a very quick look round. We need to be getting home.”

“Yes! Thank you, Papa!”

They crossed the road and entered the fairground. They had never visited this late into the evening before, and Bae was mesmerised by the coloured lights on the rides. For a while, Rum thought that he might have got away with it and that Bae would be too transfixed by the visual display to remember certain other aspects. As they reached the food tent, however, the smell of fried burgers and chips and the sickly scent of popcorn and candyfloss made Rum’s mouth water.

Bae wriggled free of his hand and raced off into the tent, heading towards the place where they bought chips and looking up at the counter in rapturous remembrance.

“Bae! Bae, come back!” Rum rushed in after his son. “Bae, we have food at home, come on.”

“But can’t we get chips like we used to with Mama?” Bae sounded horribly betrayed.

“No, Bae, not today. Next time, ok, I promise.” He made a mental note to start a rainy-day chip fund the next time he had spare change.

“It’s ok.” Rum looked up to see the woman behind the counter smiling down at them. “It’s the last batch in the fryer anyway.”

Rum stood from where he was crouched beside Bae. Admitting his dire financial situation to strangers was something that he avoided like the plague, but this lady seemed kindly enough and there was no-one else around in the tent.

“I, erm, I don’t have any cash.”

She shrugged. “They’ll go to waste if someone doesn’t eat them. I’d far rather that someone enjoyed them than if I had to throw them out.” She leaned over the counter to speak to Bae. “You get to have all the crunchy, battery bits out of the bottom of the fryer.”

Bae was absolutely thrilled by this prospect and couldn’t stop beaming as Belle served up the paper bag full of steaming, golden chips.

“Thank you so much.” Rum was almost worshipfully grateful for her kindness, and he turned to prompt Bae. “What do you say?”

“Thank you, Miss Chips Lady!”

The woman laughed. “You’re very welcome. And you can call me Belle. What’s your name?”

“Bae! We’re both B’s! Not real bees though, that would be silly.”

“I don’t know. I think I would make a great bee.” Belle made buzzing noises until Bae was bent double with laughter. “Is your daddy a B too?”

“No. He’s a P. For Papa.”

Rum couldn’t help but give a snort of laughter. “He’s actually an R for Raymond,” he told Belle. “Rum for short.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Rum. And you too, buzzy bee Bae.”

They let Belle get on with cleaning up the food tent, the other stands having shut down, and went to sit and eat, Bae swinging his legs where his feet didn’t touch the floor from the bench he was sitting on. Having eaten his fill, Bae looked ponderously at the chips still in the bag.

“What do we do with Mama’s share?” he asked.

“Well, maybe we can take it home and eat it together tomorrow,” Rum suggested.

“Maybe we could see if Miss Belle wants them?” He looked over at Belle, who was hanging up her apron. “Miss Belle, do you want some of our chips? Now Mama isn’t here, you can have hers.”

Belle looked hesitant for a moment, then came over, her eyes immediately going to Rum to question the absence of Bae’s mother.

_Divorce_ , he mouthed, and Belle nodded before sitting down beside him and taking a chip from the offered bag.

“What’s your favourite ride at the fair, Miss Belle?” Bae asked.

“I like the whirling teacups. It’s been broken today, though, so I haven’t been able to have a go. What about you?”

“I like the merry-go-round.” Bae’s voice was wistful, and soon he was off in daydreams of prancing horses.

There was a thoughtful expression on Belle’s face, which quickly turned into a grin.

“Would you like to go on the merry-go-round now?” she asked.

Bae’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes! Yes please! Can I, Papa?”

Rum looked over at Belle. She already knew he had no money, so she must have a plan up her sleeve.

“If Miss Belle says it’s ok,” he said eventually.

“It will be no trouble at all.”

Bae jumped up and Rum and Belle followed him out of the tent. He was so eager to get to the ride that he raced on ahead, then doubled back and grabbed Belle’s hand to get her there quicker.

“Jeff?” she called as they neared the ride. “Jefferson?”

“Hello?” A head popped up from behind one of the horses. “Oh, hello there. You’re here late.”

“Jefferson, could you do me a favour? I have a VIP guest here whom I believe has earned an exclusive merry-go-round ride.”

“Certainly!” Jefferson jumped down off the ride and bowed low, ushering Bae towards the steps. “Come aboard, good sir, and pick your steed.”

Bae took his time looking at all of the horses in turn, eventually settling on a gold and green one named _Spinner_. Jefferson lifted him onto the saddle and went to start the ride. Bae was in his element, waving to Belle and Rum every time he went past. Rum waved back every time as well.

“Thank you,” he said to Belle. “Thank you for everything that you’ve done for us this evening.”

“It’s just a few chips and three minutes on a merry-go-round.”

“It means so much more to me and Bae.”

Belle smiled at him. “I like people to be happy,” she said simply.

Rum certainly felt happier now than he had done in a very long time.

“How long is the fair in town for?” he asked.

“It moves on tomorrow.” Belle paused. “I don’t move on with it, though,” she added tentatively. “I live locally, I just help out whenever it’s in town and Jeff tells me that they need extra hands. I, erm, I know what it’s like to have no cash.”

Rum’s heart leapt to his mouth. If she was local, then this kind stranger might not have to be so much of a stranger after all.

“Maybe we’ll see each other around,” she continued. “Maybe next time I won’t have an oily face and smell of chip fat.”

“I’d like that. The seeing you again part. Not the oily face and chip fat part, I mean, I don’t really care about that. I mean, you’re lovely as you are…” He was floundering, and Belle’s light touch on his arm silenced him as the ride began to slow down.

“Thank you, Rum. I’m normally in or around the Game of Thorns florist. It’s my dad’s. I’ll see you around?”

Rum nodded. “Yes. I’ll see you around.”

“That was amazing!” Bae gabbled as he came back towards them. “Thank you Miss Belle! Thank you Mr Jeff! Thank you Papa!”

“Our pleasure, young knight!” Jefferson bowed again. “Now, go off and ride your trusty steed home to bed to fight more dangerous dragons in your dreams.”

Bae kept waving to Belle and Jefferson as Rum led him away towards the exit. Rum, for his part, couldn’t stop smiling. He was very glad that he’d come to fair after all.


End file.
